A Jones Gray & Co Liverpool early 19th century ebony and brass…
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A Jones Gray & Co Liverpool early 19th century ebony and brass octant with ivory makers plaque stamped Jones Gray & Co Liverpool. lacquered brass fittings including two pinhole sights, five shades and mirrors, the index arm 26 cm radius with vernier tangent screw and clamp, the arc with an ivory scale, no provision for a handle which marks this item as a transitional piece between an octant and a sextant, mahogany stair-step cased with trade label for John Parkes & Sons, Liverpool
lacquer. Lacquer work originated in the Far East, principally China and Japan, and was most widely used in that part of the world. It consists of several layers of the resin from the "Chinese lacquer tree", Rhus vernicifera, which gows in China and Japan. Once the resin has been processed and air dried, it forms a hard smooth and almost impermeable surface. Once applied by a brush to a wood or composition base in very thin layers, the surface is then decorated and inlaid with different materials.
Chinese lacquer was first imported into Europe around 1600 and became popular in England, France, the Netherlands, and Spain. Its popularity was such, that it was imitated by the Europeans, who used a technique known as "Japanning". The "oriental" scenes onsome European lacquer work is naïve, and the quality is not as high as on the original.
The words "lacquered finish" may also refer to a finish comprising polymers dissolved in compounds such as nitrocellulose applied to a modern product, usually by spraying, The modern chemical based lacquers are much more durable than those of past years.
mahogany. Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.
Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin.
ebony. Ebony is a close grained timber, black in colour. It has a fine texture which can be polished to a high gloss, making it suitable for venereering, inlay and stringing and its use as solid timber is resticted to small decorative items and ornamental decoration, such as chess pieces and musical instrument parts. The term "ebonised" means "faux ebony", timber that has been darkened during the polishing process to resemble ebony.
The buyers premium is an additional percentage charge on the hammer price of the item, imposed by the auction house to cover administrative costs. The buyers premium percentage varies between auction houses, with a range of 12.5% to 22%.
